Crimping presses for crimping connector elements onto conductor means and the method therefor



vJan- 1967 JEAN-BERNARD GUEROUT ETAL 3,299,690

CRIMPING PRESSES FOR CRIMPING CONNECTOR ELEMENTS ONTO CONDUCTOR MEANS AND THE METHOD THEREFOR Filed March 51, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Invenlor JEAN -BERNAED GUEROUT MAURICE LA Fo/vq By M A Harm-y Jan. 24, 1967 JEAN-BERNARD GUEROUT ETAL 3,299,690

' CRIMPING PRESSES FOR CRIMPING CONNECTOR ELEMENTS ONTO CONDUCTOR MEANS AND THE METHOD THEREFOR Filed March 51, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I nvenlor JEA N -DER-A e1: GuEeour MAURICE LA Fo/vp By M M v -fjwQ A HON-10) United States Patent 3,299,690 CRIMPIN G PRESSES FOR CRIMPING CONNECTOR ELEMENTS ONTO CONDUCTOR MEANS AND THE METHOD THEREFOR Jean-Bernard Guerout, Chatou, and Maurice Lafond, Puteaux, France, assignors to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Filed Mar. 31, 1964, Ser. No. 356,274 Claims priority, appligcationoFrance, Apr. 1, 1963, 2

16 Claims. (Cl. 72-330 tionship by metal sings, and to advance the strip a connector length at a time for crimping.

Such a press comprises crimping apparatus in which a shear blade is movable through a working stroke to shear the slug from between the leading connector of the strip and the next adjacent connector thereof, and a crimping die adjacent the shear blade, the crimping die being .movablerthrough a working stroke to crimp the leading -connector.

A press of this kind is also employed for crimping other connectors which have a metal slug to be sheared extending directly from a crimping ferrule, e.g., ring tongue connectors which are arranged to be crimped to a wire so that the wire extends over the ring tongue, i.e, in the opposite direction to that in which the wire usually .extends in the case of ring tongue connectors.

Since substantially the whole slug should be sheared, the shear blade and the cirmping die are disposed closely ..adjacent one another, being normally spaced from one another by less than 1 mm. usually'by about .5 mm. and ,f'even'less, 'Particulate material formed during the shearing operation and comprising portions of the slug of 'material and also of the wire where the wire end is so positioned as to be sheared or crushed by the shear blade, may accordingly become trapped between the shear blade and the crimping die and may accumulate to cause the shear blade, which is normally very thin, to be forced away from the crimping die and thus, providing incorrect shearing and eventually fracturing thereof.

of to provide relative movement between the shear blade and crimping die to eject particulate material from between the shear blade and the crimping die.

The crimping die may be fixed to a press ram movable relative to the shear blade during an initial part of the working stroke of the ram, the crimping die and the shear blade being movable together during the remainder of the working stroke of the ram. The shear blade may be moved through its working stroke against the action of a return spring by an abutment fixed to the ram, the

I effective length of the abutment being preferably adjustable to predetermine the relative lengths of the working stroke of the shear blade and the crimping die.

' The shear blade is preferably slidably mounted on a frame detachably secured to one end of a base member along which the strip of connectors is advanced for crimping. This frame may comprise parallel rods extending' perpendicularly to the base member, the shear blade being fixed to a carrier member slidably carried by the rods. A reinforcing plate for the shear blade may According to the present invention it is an object therebe disposed between the shear blade and the carrier member, the plate, the shear blade; the carrier member having a channel for the passage of the particulate material from between the shear blade and the crimping die.

Other objects and attainments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention; it is to be understood, however, that this embodiment is not intended to be exhaustive nor limiting of the invention but is given for purposes of illustration and principles thereof and the manner of applying it in practical use so that they may modify it in various forms, each as may be best suited to the conditions of a particular use.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view'of apparatus for crimping electrical connectors arranged in end-to-end strip form to electrical wires;

FIGURES 2 and 3 are diagrammatic sectional views of the apparatus showing the parts thereof in two respective positions of operation; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view through a strip of electrical connectors arranged in end-to-end strip form.

A press ram 1 (only part of which is shown) has fixed thereto by screws 2, a tool carrier 3 and a movable crimping die 4 having a working surface 5. Two bolts 6 are screwed into tapped apertures in the tool carrier 3 and are arranged to be fixed so as to extend a vpredetermined distance from the carrier 3 by nuts 7. A base block 8 has fixed to one end surface thereof by screws 9 a frame 10, a fixed shear plate 11, having a Working edge 11', shear plate spacers 12 and a fixed crimping anvil 13 having a working surface 14. Press ram 1 may be operated by a conventional press, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,046,636.

The frame 10 has a shear blade carrier 15 to which are fixed by screws 16 a movable shear blade 17, having a working surface 18 and a central aperture 19, and a reinforcing plate 20 for blade 17. Carrier 15 is depressible from an end position in which it. is shown in FIGURES 1 and 3 along a pair of parallel perpendicular rods 21 against the action of compression springs 22. Block 8 has guides 23 for a strip 24 of electrical connectors arranged in end-to-end strip form. Each connector consists of a U-shaped ferrule portion 25 joined to the ferrule portion of the next adjacent connector by a metal slug 26.

Strip 24 is arranged to be advanced one connector length at a time in the direction of the arrow in FIGURE 2 by a feed finger conventional feed means, such as disclosed in the above-mentioned patent, strip 24 being maintained between guides 23 by a resiliently mounted pad (not shown) which bears against the upper (as seen in the figures) edges of the connectors.

At the beginning of a Working cycle of the apparatus, ram 1 is in its top, dead-center position as shown in FIG- URE 2, portion 25 of the leading connector of the strip 24 being disposed on working surface 14 of anvil 13 and slug 26 connecting the ferrule portion of the leading connector to that of the next adjacent connector, spanning the right hand (as seen in FIGURE 2) edge of working surface 14 and working edge 11 of fixed shear plate 11. The ends of wires W are now inserted by hand, automatically or semi-automatically, into portion 25 of the leading connector (FIGURE 2), the terminal portions of the wire ends protruding, as will normally be the case, slightly be- 3 yond portion 25 of the leading connector to lie beneath working surface 18 of blade 17.

As ram 1 begins to move, crimping die 4 is displaced I downwardly through its working stroke (as seen in FIG- URE 2), carrier 15 and thus, shear blade 17 remaining stationary so that relative movement occurs between die 4 and blade 17. As ram 1 continues its working stroke, bolts 6 abut carrier 15 depressing it against the action of springs 22 so that working surface 18 of blade 17 shears slug 26 from between the leading and next adjacent portions 25 in cooperation with the right hand (as seen in FIGURE 3) edge of working surface 14 of anvil 13 and working edge 11' of plate 11, also shearing or crushing the protruding portions of wires W (FIGURE 3). Just prior to the slug being sheared, working surface of die 4 engages leading portion 25 and crimps it about wires W, the right hand (as seen in FIGURE 3) end of leading portion 25, being slightly extruded into aperture 19 in blade 17 (as seen in FIGURE 3).

Ram 1 now begins its return stroke freeing crimped portion 25 and permitting it to be removed from working surface 14. Carrier 15 now rises under the action of springs 22. As ram 1 continues its return stroke, carrier 15 reaches its uppermost (as seen in FIGURE 3) end position, bolts 6 being disengaged from carrier 15 which is now again stationary and relative movement again occurring between die 4 and blade 17 until the ram returns to its top, dead-center position.

During the return stroke of the ram, strip 24 is advanced, by the feed means, to position a further portion 25 on working surface 14 of anvil 13.

Since die 4 and blade 17 are closely adjacent one another, being spaced by less than 1 mm., e.g., by about .5 mm., particulate material formed by the shearing operation from the protruding portions of wires W and parts of the slug material tend, during operation, to become trapped between die 4 and blade 17. The particulate material is, however, ejected from between die 4 and blade 17 by a wiping action which occurs between these parts due to their relative movement. Some of the particulate material may be forced upwardly from between die 4 and blade 17 to escape. via a channel 27 formed by notches 28 in the upper (as seen in FIGURE 1) edges of carrier 15, blade 17 and plate 20. The ejected particulate material may be removed from the apparatus, for example, by a blast of compressed air.

The length of stroke of blade 17 is determined by the distance by which bolts 6 protrude from tool carrier 3. Bolts 6 may accordingly be employed to adjust the length of the stroke of blade 17.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objects have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiment of the invention, which is shown and described herein, is intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

We claim:

1. A method of crimping connectors of a strip of electrical connectors to wires, each connector comprising a conductor means receiving crimping ferrule and being joined to the next adjacent connector of the strip by a metal slug extending directly from the crimping ferrule, the method comprising the steps of advancing the strip towards a crimping anvil to locate the crimping ferrule of the leading connector of the strip upon the anvil, inserting an electrical conductor means into the crimping ferrule of the leading connector, bringing a movable crimping die into engagement with the crimping ferrule of the leading connector to crimp the ferrule to the conductor means, moving a laminar shear blade in the same sense as the crimping die and in parallel adjacent relationship thereto with a surface of said shear blade facing a surface of said crimping die to shear the metal slug from between the leading and the next adjacent connector of the strip, and effecting relative movement between, the shear blade and 4 the crimping die to eject particulate mate-rial produced by the shearing operation from between the crimping die and the shear blade.

2. A method according to claim 1 in which the maximum distance between the shear blade and the movable crimping die does not exceed one millimeter.

3. A method according to claim 1 comprising the further step of extruding the edge of the crimped connector during the shearing operation.

4. In a machine for crimping electrical connectors fed to a crimping area onto conductor means, said electrical connectors being connected to each other by a slug to deline a continuous strip, stationary and movable crimping means on said machine at said crimping area, means connected to said movable crimping means'to move same toward and away from said stationary crimping means, to crimp an electrical connector disposed on said stationary crimping means onto said conductor means, shear means mounted on said machine and being disposed in parallel adjacent relationship with respect to said crimping means with a surface of said shear means facing a surface of said movable crimping means, means for moving said shear means relative to said crimping means from a normally inoperative position to shear the slug from between the connector being crimped and the adjacent connector of the continuous strip during a crimping operation, and means to return said shear means to said normally inoperative position to eject particulate material produced by a shearing operation from between the crimping means and shear means.

5. The machine of claim 4 wherein the shear means and crimping means are spaced from one another by a maximum distance of 1 mm.

6. The machine of claim 4 wherein said shear means is mounted on a carrier member and the means to move the shear means includes engaging means located on said means to move said movable crimping means.

7. The machine of claim 6 wherein said engaging means is adjustable to adjust the movement of the shear means relative to said crimping means.

8. The machine of claim 6 wherein said carrier member is slidably mounted on a frame which is mounted to one end of a base member along which the continuous strip of connectors are fed to said crimping area.

9. The machine of claim 6 wherein a reinforcing plate for the shear means is disposed between said shear means and said carrier member, said shear means, reinforcing plate and carrier member having recesses disposed therein to define a channel for the passage of the particulate material.

10. The machine of claim 4 wherein said means to return said shear means to said normally inoperative position includes spring means.

11. The machine of claim 4 wherein said shear means has means locate-d above the shearing surface which engages the edge of the crimped connector just sheared to slightly extrude same.

12. In a machine of the kind described, crimping means on said machine including a movable crimping die means and a stationary crimping die means, means for feeding a continuous strip of connector elements in successive manner to said crimping means, said' connector elements being connected to each other by a slug, means to move said movable crimping die means toward said stationary crimping die means to perform a crimping operation to crimp a connector element disposed thereon to conductor means, shear means on said machine in adjacent parallel relationship with respect to said crimping means with a surface of said shear means facing a surface of said movable crimping die means, means for movingsaid shear means relative to said crimping means during said crimping operation thereof to perform a shearing operation to shear a slug from between the connector being crimped and the trailing connector, and means to move said shear means from said shearing operation to a normally inoperative position to eject particulate material produced by the shearing operation from between the crimping means and shear means.

13. The machine according to claim 12 wherein the shear means and crimping means are placed from each other approximately 1 mm.

14. The machine according to claim 12 wherein a reinforcing plate means is disposed adjacent said shear means on the side thereof remote from said crimping means to reinforce said shear means.

15. The machine according to claim 12 wherein said means to move said shear means is mounted on said means to move said movable crimping die means and is adjustable to adjust the relative movement between said crimping means and shear means.

16. A method of crimping connectors of a strip of electrical connectors to wires, each connector comprising a conductor means receiving crimping ferrule and being joined to the neXt adjacent connector of the strip by a metal slug extending directly from the crimping ferrule, the method comprising the steps of advancing the strip towards a crimping anvil to locate the crimping ferrule of the leading connector of the strip upon the anvil, inserting an electrical conductor means into the crimping ferrule of the leading connector, bringing a movable crimping die into engagement with the crimping ferrule 0f the leading connector to crimp the ferrule to the conductor means, moving a laminar shear blade in the same sense as the crimping die and in parallel adjacent relationship thereto with a surface of said shear blade facing a surface of said crimping die to shear the metal slug from between the crimping ferrule of the leading connector and the next connector of said strip, and effecting relative movement between the shear blade and the crimping die to eject particulate material produced by the shearing operation from between the crimping die and the shear blade.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,755 12/1959 Kinkaid 7233O CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

R. D. GREFE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF CRIMPING CONNECTORS OF A STRIP OF ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS TO WIRES, EACH CONNECTOR COMPRISING A CONDUCTOR MEANS RECEIVING CRIMPING FERRULE AND BEING JOINED TO THE NEXT ADJACENT CONNECTOR OF THE STRIP BY A METAL SLUG EXTENDING DIRECTLY FROM THE CRIMPING FERRULE, THE METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF ADVANCING THE STRIP TOWARDS A CRIMPING ANVIL TO LOCATE THE CRIMPING FERRULE OF THE LEADING CONNECTOR OF THE STRIP UPON THE ANVIL, INSERTING AN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR MEANS INTO THE CRIMPING FERRULE OF THE LEADING CONNECTOR, BRINGING A MOVABLE CRIMPING DIE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CRIMPING FERRULE OF THE LEADING CONNECTOR TO CRIMP THE FERRULE TO THE CONDUCTOR MEANS, MOVING A LAMINAR SHEAR BLADE IN THE SAME SENSE AS THE CRIMPING DIE AND IN PARALLEL ADJACENT RELATIONSHIP THERETO WITH A SURFACE OF SAID SHEAR BLADE FACING A SURFACE OF SAID CRIMPING DIE TO SHEAR THE METAL SLUG FROM BETWEEN THE LEADING AND THE NEXT ADJACENT CONNECTOR OF THE STRIP, AND EFFECTING RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE SHEAR BLADE AND THE CRIMPING DIE TO EJECT PARTICULATE MATERIAL PRODUCED BY THE SHEARING OPERATION FROM BETWEEN THE CRIMPING DIE AND THE SHEAR BLADE. 